Historical Marker Program

Fort Coffee

Le Flore County
Location: on US-271, approximately one mile east of Spiro
Coordinates: 35.240479, -94.595370
Material: Granite
Sponsor(s): Oklahoma Historical Society and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation
Topics: American Indians; Education; Military; Westward Expansion, 1803–1861

Named in honor of General John Coffee of Tennessee, Fort Coffee was established by the 7th Infantry on June 16, 1834, on the southern bank of the Arkansas River. Because of relative peace in the area, the fort was abandoned four years later. In 1842, the Choctaw Council established the Fort Coffee Academy for boys. Confederate forces used the barracks during the Civil War. However, Federal troops overran the post in October of 1863 and burned the main buildings.